Winding machine for the production of bobbins with predetermined thread tension overthe bobbin run



May 23, 1961 w. ZANDER WINDING MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BOBBINSWITH PREDETERMINED THREAD TENSION OVER THE BOBBIN RUN Filed March 8,1957 INVENTOR:

WERNER ZAND ER BY 91 ATT'YS WINDING MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OFBOBBINS WITH PREDETERMINED THREAD TENSION OVER THE BOBBIN RUN WernerZander, Wuppertal-Elherfeld, Germany, assignor to VereinigteGlanzstotf-Fabriken A.G., Wuppertal- Elberfeld, Germany Filed Mar. 8,1957, Ser. No. 644,815

Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 12, 1956 12 Claims. (Cl.242-18) This invention relates to thread-winding machines, in which thewinding tension of the thread during the bobbin run is maintained at apredetermined, variable or nonvariable value.

Hitherto, in the regulation of the thread tension before the take-up onwinding machines, the practice has been to install in the drive of thetake-up bobbin a de vice controlling the rate of revolution. This devicefelt out the thread tension directly in front of the take-up bobbin,and, in the event of variation in thread tension, altered the rate ofrevolution of the bobbin drive in such a way that, with excessive threadtension, the winding speed of the take-up is diminished and, in thereverse situation, increased. Such drive regulating devices have thedrawback that the intended fine adjustment of the tension in the threadbeing wound could never be perfectly achieved because only the alteredthread tensions at the take-up gave the impulse for the adjustment ofthe setting devices. These altered thread tensions at full speeds couldsometimes be appreciably large; in some cases, indeed, they might be sosevere as to cause a breakdown of the driving mechanism.

Furthermore, regulating mechanisms are generally to be realized only bycomplicated and sensitive measuring and adjusting devices. They are,accordingly, very susceptible to damage in operation and extremelyexpensive.

The present invention avoids the disadvantages of a complicated anddelicate regulating mechanism, but permits, on the other hand, a perfectwinding of the thread at a predetermined thread tension with increasingtakeup speed together with increasing bobbin travel. According to thearrangement of the invention, in the path of thread travel between thedelivery bobbin and the take-up bobbin a separately driven drawing-01fdevice is provided, which device is adjustable with respect to the speedat which the thread is drawn off the delivery bobbin and is capable ofvarying the speed of drawing off to correspond with the variable threadspeed over the winding bobbin run. Said device conducts the thread,without further'feeling out of its tension, to the take-up bobbin, whichis driven by a slip clutch driven at a constant rate of rotation, sothat the take-up thread tension is controlled by means of the variabledrawing-off speed of the drawing-off device and by the varied torquetransmitted with the slip of the slip clutch.

For a winding machine constructed in this manner, a slip clutch isrequired which functions according to an electrical, magnetic,electromagnetic or hydraulic or pneumatic principle, and whosetransmitted torque is variable in dependence on the slip. When a threadis conducted to a take-up bobbin driven by such a slip clutch, the slipis increased with increasing diameter of the thread winding on thebobbin unless the thread supply speed is correspondingly raised at thesame time. The increased slip results in a heightening of thetransmission torque, which, with a corresponding synchronization withthe increase in diameter of the thread body on the tes Patent 6 nalthread tension.

Patented May 23, 1961 "ice take-up bobbin, can result in a maintenanceof the origi- If, however, the thread delivery speed is altered, then itis possible, by way of the resulting change of slip in the slip clutchto achieve by adjustment any desired alteration of the thread tension.Such a thread tension can increase over the winding bobbin run whicheffect is, in general, not desired. It can, however, besides theabovementioned constant maintenance of its value, be set for diminutionin any desired manner, insofar as the required thread length isdelivered by the corresponding alteration of the drawing-off speed ofthe drawing-01f device. Since it is usual to work with lower take-uptension with increasing winding diameter, in general the drawing-offspeed will be raised at the drawing-off device in the course of thewinding. By this increase of the delivery at will, any desired threadtension can be achieved.

The drawing-off speed can be controlled at the drawingofI device duringthe bobbin run according to a set time program; as, for example, by anarrangement such that an interposed stageless gear is set in apreviously determined manner for the driving of the drawing-off deviceby clockwork. The drawing-off speed can, however, also be programmed independence on the previous winding process, for example, on the Windingdiameter. In the latter case, the winding diameter is felt out by afeeler, as, for example, by the reciprocating thread guide. Theconstantly changing feeler values are then conducted by levers to anadjusting device for the drawing-off speed, either in front of or on thedrawing-off device. Here, the drawing-off device can be constructed insuch a way that the thread is conducted, for example, on a roller with afixed diameter and the peripheral velocity of the roller is altered bystageless adjusting gears in dependence on the deflection of the feelingdevice. It is, however, also possible to employ conical rollers rotatingat a constant rate, which may, for example, be constructed as clampingroller pairs, and on which the thread is pushed by the feeling device inthe ranges of other peripheral velocities.

Essential conditions for the intended adjustment of the take-up threadtension are, on the one hand, the variable drawing-off speed of thedrawing otl device and, on the other hand, the alterations of thetransmission torque of the slip clutch in dependence on the change ofslip. Since the slip clutch is to be set only in relation to itsstarting value before the beginning of the bobbin run, not, however,readjusted during the bobbin run, the drawing-off speed for the controlof the thread tension must be variable within wide limits. For thispurpose it is possible, for instance, in the. case of feeler controlbased on the winding diameter, to install an interchangeabletransferring transmission member, as, for example, a curved intermediatemember or the like for the programming the drawing-off speed, whichmember will produce the desired drawing-01f speed adjustment inaccordance with a predetermined pattern. This can be accomplished inlinear or other selected mathematical sequence, so that, hereby,undesired characteristics of the slip torque relationship of the slipclutch may be compensated.

The winding machine arrangement described above is distinguished by thefact that the driving devices used in it are controlled in a simplemanner, so that simple mechanisms may be used, which are sturdy inoperation and require only slight tending, and, furthermore, that apredetermined thread tension relationship is assured during the bobbinrun, which is independent of spurts of speed and unforeseen increases intension from the delivery spool, and, further, that it is possible, asthe winding diameter increases, to achieve a heightening of the take-upspeed, through which process the bobbin positions can be more rationallyutilized.

The figure shows a perspective view of a winding machine for maintaininga predetermined tension during the bobbin run.

One embodiment of the winding machine of the present invention isexplained in detail with the aid of the drawing. The embodimentillustrated comprises a winding or take-up bobbin having a thread bodythereon and mounted on driving shaft 14. The shaft 14 is mounted intelescopic relation with a shaft '12 journalled in bearing 16 and isconnected to the central cylinder 18 of an electromagnetic clutch havinga driven hollow cylinder 20. The electromagnetic clutch is of a wellknown typethe cylinder portion 18 being driven in response to rotationof the hollow cylindrical portion 20 by means of a magnetic field in theclutch. The hollow cylindrical portion 20 of the electromagnet clutch isdriven at a constant rate by driving belt 22 mounted over the hollowcylindrical portion 20 and a driving pulley 24 mounted on driving shaft26. The slip between the hollow cylindrical portion 20 and thecylindrical portion 18 of the electromagnetic clutch can be adjustedbefore the winding operation is begun by loosening the set screw in theshaft 12 to release the shaft 14 and sliding the shaft 12 andcylindrical portion 18 of the electromagnetic clutch axially inside thehollow cylindrical portion 20 of the electromagnetic clutch. The setscrew 12 is then again tightened, and the winding operation can bestarted.

The driving shaft 26 is journalled in bearings 28 and is driven by apulley or other driving means connected to a motor (not shown). Thedriving shaft 26 has mounted thereon a conical driving roller 30 drivenby rotation of said shaft. A second, freely rotatable, conical pressureroller 32 is mounted adjacent the conical roller 30 with the conicalsurfaces of the rollers in frictional contact. The conical rollers 30and 32 comprise a pair of conical rollers for variably adjusting therate of drawing-off of thread from thread source 34. The thread is drawnoff thread source 34 through a fixed thread guide 38 and a preliminaryfriction brake 36 of any suitable construction and passes through anaxially movable thread guide 40 and thence between the conical surfacesin frictional contact of conical rollers 30 and 32. The rate at whichthe thread is drawn off the thread source 34 is varied by positioningthe thread path between the rollers 30 and 32 due to the differences inperipheral velocity of the various portions of the conical surfaces ofthe rollers 30 and 32tl1e higher velocities being attained as the threadmoves toward the larger end of the conical rollers 30 and 32.

The means for shifting the thread path axially along the surfaces of theconical rollers 30 and 32 comprises the thread guide 40 mounted on a camfollower 44 journalled for axial movement in bearing 42. The thread Ttends to move axially across the conical rollers 30 and 32 toward thesmaller end, and this biases the follower 44 against the camming surfaceof pivotally mounted cam member 46. However, a light spring bias urgingthe cam follower 44 into contact with the camming surface of the cammember 46 may be provided if desired. The cam member 46 is mounted on avertical shaft 48 pivotally journalled in bearings 50. The cam member 46is operatively connected to a lever mechanism designated generally as 52and comprises a link 54 connected with an integral arm 56 of cam member46 by a horizontal pivotal connection 58. The link 54 is connected atits other end by a vertical pivotal connection 58 to arm 59 fixedlymounted on a reciprocable and pivotable shaft 60. The shaft 60 hasfixedly mounted thereon a thread guide member 62 and is slidably andpivotally journalled in bearings 64. The shaft 60 is connected to asuitable, well known means for reciprocating the thread guide 62 axiallyalong the winding bobbin 10 for distributing the thread as it is woundon the winding bobbin.

With the thread T running to the winding bobbin, the thread guide 62 isurged into contacting relationship with the thread body on the windingbobbin 10. However, a suitable light spring bias may be used to urgethe'thread guide 62 into contacting relationship with the thread body,if desired. As the diameter of the thread body on the winding bobbin 10changes during the winding operation, the thread guide 62, riding on thesurface of the thread body, is pivoted. This pivotal movement, in turn,pivots the shaft 60, thereby rotating arm 59. Movement of the arm 59, inturn, pivots cam member 46 through link 54 and arm 56. When the cammember 46 pivots the cam follower 44 slides axially thereby axiallymoving the thread guide 40 and positioning the thread path over theconical rollers 30 and 32 on a portion of the rollers having a differentperipheral velocity.

For example, as the diameter of the thread body on the winding bobbin 10increases the peripheral velocity of the thread travelling to thewinding bobbin increases. In order to maintain a thread feed to thewinding bobbin adjusted to a value providing the desired thread tension,the velocity of thread drawn off the thread source 34 by the conicalrollers 30 and 32 must be correspondingly increased. This isaccomplished by virtue of the fact that the thread guide 62 is pivotedaway from the axis of the winding bobbin 10 by the increasing diameterof the thread body. This pivotal movement induces, through the linkagesheretofore described, a clockwise rotation of the cam member 46 as it isshown in the drawing. The clockwise rotation of'the cam member 46, inturn, axially moves the cam follower 44 with thread guide 40 in adirection toward the larger end of the conical rollers 30 and 32 andthereby urges the path of thread travel over said rollers toward thelarger end thereof. This synchronizes the rate of drawing-oif of thethread T from thread source 34 by conical rollers 30 and 32 with theincreased rate of thread travel induced by the increased diameter of thethread body on the winding bobbin 10. Asthe diameter of the thread bodyon the winding bobbin 10 induces an increased rate of drawingoif by theconical rollers 30 and 32, the thread tension immediately ahead of thewinding bobbin 10 is diminished because of the now faster runningslipping part 18 of the slip clutch and the associated lowering of thetransmission torque during the bobbin run; This control can also takeplace in such a way that the slip and, accordingly, the transmissiontorque remain constant. In general, however, it is carried out in such away that the slip is considerably reduced so that the thread tension canbe reduced to extremely small values. The desired results can beattained by varying the initial values of the slip of the slip clutch bythe manual adjustment heretofore described and by the design and shapeof the V camming surface of the cam member 46.

For example, if a curved cam surface is provided on cam member 46, whichcurved surface brings about a quadratic increase in the drawing-offspeed by conical rollers 30 and 32, it is possible to have the threadtension increase or decrease sharply with the increasing bobbin travel.If, in another execution, the characteristic curve of the slip in theslipping clutch to the transmission torque is plotted quadratically itis then possible, with a suitable curved camming surface of cam member46 effecting a shifting of the thread guide 40 according to root values,to alter the access speed of the thread in such a way that a linearfunction of the thread tension over the bobbin run is achieved. It isalso possible to arrange linear and quadratic shifting in succession sothat during the bobbin run the shifting is linear up to a certain pointand thereafter quadratic. It is apparent that there are manypossibilities for achieving a desired thread tension pattern by merelyvarying the design of the camming surface in the combination of thepresent invention.

As slip clutches all the varieties that have become known of slippingelectrical, magnetic, electromagnetic or flux as well as hydraulic typesare usable. Because of their simple construction and the ease with whichthe characteristic of slip to transmission torque is influenced throughthe intermediate curved member, as well as the easy settlngof thestarting values of slip by axial adjusting of the slipping part at thebeginning of the bobbin run, magnetlc or electromagnetically operatingeddy current clutches are especially suitable for the present purpose.In place of the device depicted with a feeling device on the take-upbobbin for the adjusting of the drawing-off speed of the drawing-offdevice, the latter can also be carried out as desired according to apreset program, as, for example, with the aid of a time-controlled curvedisk similar to the curved intermediate member 14 controlled by thewinding.

. In place of the pair of conical rollers depicted as drawlng-oifdevice, other rollers, as, for example, stagelessly controlled, constantdiameter rollers of variable rate of revolution can also be employed,driven, for example, by way of friction gears and having the advantagethat they simultaneously define the exact thread length on the takeupbobbin in dependence on the rate of rotation of the roller.

Variable speed friction drives which can be used to vary the rate ofrevolution of the aforesaid rollers include friction gearing of the diskwheel type having a small brush wheel with the round surface bearingagainst the flat face of a large disk driven at a constant rate ofrotation. By radially moving the small brush wheel across the flat faceof the driving disk the rate of rotation of the brush wheel can beincreased or decreased depending upon the direction in which it ismoved. In the combination of the present invention the small brush wheelis connected by a shaft to the drawing-01f roller and is moved radiallyon the driving disk by the follower 44 in response to axial movement ofthe follower upon rotation of the cam member 46. One other stagelessfrictional gear which may be employed in a similar manner comprises aconical friction gear driven at a constant rate in frictional contactwith a cylindrical roller, the two rollers being axially movable withrelation to each other. The thread-winding roller is connected to thecylindrical roller of the friction gear and the cam follower 44 may beused to slide either of said friction gears axially with respect to theother gear to effect a change in rotation rate of the thread-windingroller in response to pivotal movement of the cam member 46. The threaddrawing-off rollers in these embodiments may be a pair of constantdiameter rollers-one the driven roller and the other a pressureroller-or a single cylindrical roller about which the thead is loopedone or more times. In either case, the thread is drawn off the threadsource without slippage.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a thread winding machine having a thread delivery source and awinding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch, means in the pathof thread travel between said delivery source and said winding bobbinfor drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source,feeler means for feeling the diameter of the thread body on said windingbobbin and movable in response to changes in diameter of said threadbody, and means responsive to movement of said thread feeler means foradjusting the drawing oif rate of said thread by said firstmentionedmeans, whereby the take-up tension of the thread on said winding bobbinis controlled by the drawing-off speed of said first-mentioned means andby the transmission torque of said slip clutch.

2. In a thread-winding machine having a thread delivery source and awinding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch means in the pathof thread travel between said delivery source and said winding bobbinfor drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source,pivotally mounted thread feeler means for feeling the diameter of thethread body on said winding bobbin and pivotable in response to changesin diameter of said thread body, and means including a pivotally mountedcam member operatively connected to said feeler means and pivotable inresponse to movement of said feeler means for adjusting the drawing-offrate of said thread by said firstmentioned means, whereby the take-uptension of the thread on said winding bobbin is controlled by thedrawing-off speed of said first-mentioned means and by the transmissiontorque of said slip clutch.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned meanscomprises a pair of conical rollers in frictional contact and said meansresponsive to movement of said thread feeler means moves the thread pathaxially across the surface of said rollers.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said firstmentioned meanscomprises a pair of conical rollers in frictional contact, and the cammember operatively engages a follower slidably mounted adjacent saidconical rollers and having thread guide means thereon, whereby thethread path over said conical rollers is changed in response to pivotalmovement of said cam member.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the slip clutch drive has manuallyadjustable means for setting the slip clutch at the desired slip valueprior to commencement of the winding operation.

6. In a thread-winding machine having a thread-winding bobbin rotatablydriven through a slip clutch and means in the path of thread travelbetween the thread delivery source and said winding bobbin for drawingoff thread at variable speeds from said delivery source, the improvementcomprising reciprocable thread guide means mounted adjacent said windingbobbin, said guide means being pivotally mounted and adapted for pivotalmovement in response to changes in diameter of the thread body on saidwinding bobbin, a cam member having a cam surface pivotally mountedadjacent said first-mentioned means, cam follower means in contact withsaid cam surface and slidably mounted for linear movement in response tomovement of said cam surface, means associated with said follower forvarying the speed of drawing ofl thread by said first-mentioned means inresponse to linear movement of said cam follower means, and lever meansoperatively connecting said cam member and said thread guide means topivot said cam means in response to pivotal movement of said threadguide means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said firstmentioned meanscomprises a pair of conical rollers in frictional contact, and the meansassociated with said follower means is a thread guide adapted for linearmovement with said follower means to move the thread path along thecontacting surfaces of said rollers.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the slip clutch is a magnetic slipclutch.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein one of said conical rollers andthe drive means for said slip clutch are driven by a common drive shaft.

10. In a thread-winding machine having a thread delivery source and awinding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch, means in the pathof thread travel between said delivery source and said winding bobbinfor drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source, andmeans responsive to changes in the radius of the frusto-conical threadwinding at the winding point and operable independently of the tensionof the running thread for programming the rate of drawing off thread bysaid first-mentioned means and the rate of take-up of the thread by saidwinding bobbin according to a predetermined pattern, whereby the take-uptension of the thread on said winding bobbin is controlled by thedrawing oif speed of said first mentioned means and by the transmissiontorque of said slip clutch.

11. In a thread-winding machine, the combination for winding thread in apredetermined tension pattern comprising a thread delivery source, meansfor rotatably driving a winding bobbin, said means including a slipclutch, drawing-0E means in the path of thread travel between saiddelivery source and said means for rotatably driving said winding bobbinand separate from said last-mentioned means for drawing off thread atvariable speeds from said thread source, and means, operableindependently of the feeling of tension in the thread, for programmingthe rate of drawing off thread from said delivery source *by saiddrawing-off means with relation to the rate of take-up of thread on thewinding bobbin according to a predetermined pattern, whereby the take-uptension of the thread wound on said winding bobbin is provided by theprogrammed control of the drawing-0E speed of said drawing-off means bysaid means for programming and by the transmission torque of said slipclutch.

12. In a thread-winding machine, the combination 'for winding thread ina predetermined tension pattern comprising a thread delivery source, afrusto-conical winding bobbin, means for rotatably driving saidfrustoconical winding bobbin, said means including a slip clutch,drawing-ofl? means in the path of thread travel between said deliverysource and a frusto-conical winding bobbin and separate from saiddriving means for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said threadsource, and means operable independently of the feeling of tension inthe thread and responsive to changes in the radius of the frusto-conicalshape of the threadwinding at the winding point on said bobbin forprogramming the rate of drawing off thread from said delivery source bysaid drawing-otf means with relation to the rate of take-up of thread onthe winding bobbin according to a predetermined pattern, whereby thetakeup tension of the thread wound on said Winding bobbin is provided bythe programmed control of the drawingoff speed of said drawing-0E meansby said means for programming and by the transmission torque of saidslip clutch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS 709,104 Great Britain May 19, 1954

